Tuning structure for radio receiving sets



May 14, 1946. RA ER 2,400,193

TUNING STRUCTURE FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS Filed May 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG! F/G.2 48 \9 6* 26 WW2 26 m M m. I 2 g a /-a. w'w: i?

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TUNING STRUCTURE FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS I Filed May 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR STANLEY 5 CR AMER ATTORNEY Patented May 14, 1946 TUNING STRUCTURE FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS Stanley S. Cramer, Haddon Heights, N. J.

Application May 2, 1944, Serial No. 533,762

19 Claims.

This invention relates to a tuning structure for a radio receiving set. The structure to be described herein is of the push-button, slide type,

and has for its principal object the provision of' a slide tuner which is small and compact, easy to manufacture, yet one that is accurate and positive in its tuning ability.

Another object of my invention is to provide a slide tuner in which the various radio stations may be easily and accurately set for any given button on the tuner.

Other objects and advantages will be discerned from a reading of the following specification, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a five-button tuner mounted on a late for installation in a radio receiving set.

Figure 2 is a view of Figure 1looking from right to left.

Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1 looking toward the buttons.

Figure 4 is a view of the end of the structureof Figure 1 opposite to that of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of one of the slide plates used in each unit of the tuner.

Figure 6 is a plan View of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a stop member carried by the slide plate of Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 1 Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a part-elevational and part-sectional view of the tuning plate in engagement with a positioning element forming part of the rotor structure of the tuning condenser, the rotor structure being in one of its maximum movement positions, and the stop member being shown in a position to engage the positioning element when the tuning plate is released.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10, but with the stop member in engagement with the positioning element of the movable member of the tuning structure, the two maximum or all-in and all-out positions of the rotor being indicated in broken lines.

Figure '12 is a side elevation of what I term the tuning plate.

Figure 13 is a view of Figure 12 looking from right to left.

able material such as steel properly treated, having an integral rear end 2 and front end 3, with integral side members 4 and 5, thereby forming a one-piece frame. An auxiliary frame member 6 is swaged into slots in the side members 4 and 5 and coacts with the front end plate 3 to form supports for a pair of plates 1 and 8. The plate 1 is what I term a tuning plate, while the plate 8 is what I call a setting late.

The plates 1 and 8 are mounted on edge side by side and are interconnected in a manner to be hereinafter described. The tuning plate 1 has a projection or lug 9 that acts to engage a positioning member I 0 carried by a member ll fastened to the shaft l2 of a movable element of a tuning structure such as a condenser, a group of rotor plates being indicated at l3. For the purpose of simplicity, the stator plates are not shown, but the rotor, when in the position of broken line I4, is in full-capacity position, and, when in the position indicated by the broken line IE, it is in its maximum position in the opposite direction, or zero-capacity position.

The plate 1 has a finger l6 which extends in front of a collar 11 on the outer end of a sleeve 18 that is freely positioned in the front end plate 3. The sleeve l8 carries a push-button l9. Extending into the sleeve l 8 is the end 20 of a rod 2|. The rod 2| is threaded at 22 for a considerable length to engage a threaded hole 22' in a lug 23 formed outwardly from the setting plate 8. The end 2|] of rod 21 has a. flat surface 25 for cooperation with a formation in the sleeve 18, Whereby thesleeve I8 is slidably carried on the end 20 of the rod 2|, but non-rotatable with respect thereto. The rear end of the rod 2| has a fiatsurface head 26 which is positioned against the rear end member 2. Between the rear end member 2 and the lug 23, is a compression spring 21, a hole being provided through the auxiliary frame member 6 to allow free movement of the spring 21 therein.

The setting plate 8 has a pawl or stop member 28 pivoted thereto at 29. A pin 30 is fastened to the plate 8 and is adapted to engage the end 3| of the pawl 28 to stop its movement in a clockwise direction about the pivot 29. The opposite end of the pawl 28 has an arcuately formed surface 32 for engagement with the positioning member III as shown in Figure 11.

The front end of the tuning plate I has a lug 33 bent outwardly therefrom, and on thislug is mounted, as by a screw 34, a narrow and thin resilient member '35. The free end of the spring 35 is adapted to engage the surface 36 of the pawl 28 when the tuning slide is pushed inwardly. This will lift the pawl from its normal position shown in Figure 8 to its stopping position shown in Figure 10. The upper edge of the end plate 3 is bent forwardly at a slant as shown in Figure 2, thereby forming a ledge 31 which has slots 38 therein to accommodate the end of the setting plate 8 that is slotted at 39 to allow the passage of the lug 33 and screw 34 on the tuning plate. The end plate 3 also has notches 40 to allow passage of the spring member 35 as will be seen from Figure 3.

Fastened on the ledge portion 31 is a metal strip 4| having considerable resiliency and having slots 42 therein forming projecting sections 43. The edges of these sections 43 rest on the top of their respective setting plates 8, thereby holding them down against their seats in the front end plate 3. A strip 44 of resilient material is fastened to the bottom of the frame I in any suitable manner as by screws 45. The rear edge of the strip 44 is formed upwardly and presses against the bottom edge of the setting plate 8, thereby holding it firmly against the upper part of its seat in the auxiliary plate 6. Thus the two resilient strips 4| and 44 act to take out all the vertical wobble in the setting plate, so that the location of the pawl 23 carried by the plate will always be the same for a station for which the unit is set. A spring 46 has one end connected to the lug 9 on the tuning plate and the other end is hooked over or attached to the edge of the strip 4|, or the ledge member 31. This spring acts to return the tuning plate to its normal position after pressure has been removed from the corresponding button I 9.

As shown in Figure 1, the setting plates 8 are in different positions as indicated by the broken line 41, which means that their respective pawls 28 will engage the positioning member ID on the radio tuning structure at different locations, and hence the movable tuning member, such as the rotor of a tuning condenser, will be positioned according to the engagement of the positioning member ID with one of the pawls 28. As has been referred to, the setting plates 8 are positioned by turning their respective buttons I9, whereas the tuning in of a station is done by a push on the button I9.

When one of the buttons I9 is pushed inwardly, the lug or projection 9 engages the positioning member ID, wherever it may be, and moves the movable tuning member, such as the rotor I3, to one of its maximum positions; for example the all-out tuning position as indicated by the broken line I in Figure 11. At the same time, the spring 35 moves the pawl 28 into stopping position as indicated in Figure 10 and holds it there until the pressure is relieved from the button and the spring 46 starts the tuning plate I on its return movement, and until the positioning member I 0 engages the arcuate surface 32 on the pawl 28, thereby holding the movable tuning member of the tuning structure in tuning position, Since the positioning member In is always moved to one of the maximum positions on pushing the tuning slide 1 all the way in, any pawl or stop member 28 that may have been in engagement with the positioning member [0, will be released therefrom and will drop by its own inertia to normal or idle position.

While I have referred to Figure 11 as showing the movable tuning member as the rotor of a condenser, and the maximum capacity position as indicated by the line I4, and the zero capacity position as indicated by the dotted line I5, the

relative positions of the stator and rotor may be reversed, but in either case, the tuning member is moved from any position it may have to one of its maximum positions of movement, on pushing the button I9 all the way in and, as explained, when the button is released, means such as a spring 33 shown in my Patent 2,337,375, issued December 21, 1943, will quickly start moving the tuning member toward the other maximum position; but the movable tuning member is stopped by its positioning member l6 engaging one of the pawls 28 set to stop it at a desired tuning position.

Since the pawls 28 are carried by the setting plates 8, whatever shock there is, due to the positioning member striking one of the pawls 28 when the rotor is being moved by its returning spring as described, is taken up by its setting plate 8 and the rod 2| through its head 26 normally in contact with the frame end 2; hence the operator will feel no shock, so to speak, if he happensto still be touching the button during the return movement of the plate 7. Furthermore, no shock is felt on the finger of the operator when pushing a button for another station, as the tuning plate I will pick up the load and maintain contact with the positioning member ID; i. e., the load, until the member ID engages the pawl 28 on the cooperative setting plate 8. This is one of the advantages of this invention over certain prior-art structures.

It may be mentioned in passing that the frame I, carrying the various tuning units, is shown in Figure 1 as mounted on a support plate 48 having slots 49 therein to receive mounting screws in the radio receiving set, but the frame I, without the mounting plate 48, may be installed directly in the radio set. Furthermore, the tuning condenser structure as indicated by the broken line 50 in Figure 11 and carrying the condenser plates, of which only the rotor I3 is shown, is adapted to have its frame fit over the sides 4 and 5 of the frame I, bein fastened thereto by screws going into the holes 5| and 52.

As initially stated, the construction described is small and compact and the buttons can be spaced on three-eighth centers, the model from which the present drawings were made being on one-half-inch centers, except the righthand one of Figure 1. When the buttons are spaced on three-eighth-inch centers, a twelvebutton structure can be made in the space usually required for six. In addition, a most important accomplishment is that the tuning and setting slides can vary in dimension by at least .005 and not interfere with its accuracy, as all play in the part is removed as has been explained; hence the ease in the manufacture of the structure.

From what has been said, it will be seen that any button can be set to cover the broadcast range and do it accurately, or one particular button may be reserved for the purpose of manual tuning, such as the right-hand button of Figure 1, but for what might be termed automatic tuning, the others are set for a given station, so all that is required to get any station is to merely push in that station button all the way and then release it, and the tuning member spring does the return action. Of course certain details may be varied from those shown without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An operating structure for acting on the positioning element of a movable tuning member of a radiotuning device comprising, a frame carrying a plurality of push-button slidable units, each unit including a pair of cooperative plates, one of which serves to engage the said positioning element to move the tuning member to one of its maximum positions of movement, means for moving the said tuning member toward the other maximum position when force is removed from the push button, the second plate being adjustable along the length of the first-mentioned plate, and means carried by the second plate for engaging the positioning element and stopping the tuning member at a predetermined tuning position as controlled by the second plate.

2. An operating structure for acting on the positioning element of a movable tuning member of a radio tuning device comprising, a frame carrying a plurality of push-button slidable units,

each unit including a pair of cooperative plates, one of which serves to engage the said positioning element to move the tuning member to one of its maximum positions of movement from any position it may be in, means for moving the said tuning member toward the other maximum position when force is removed from the push button, the second plate being adjustable along the length of the first-mentioned plate, and means carried by the second plate and moved into stoppingposition when the first plate is actuated for engaging the positioning element and stopping the tuning member at a predetermined tuning position as controlled by the second plate.

3. An operating structure for acting on the positioning element of a movable tuning member of a radio tuning device comprising, a frame carrying a plurality of push-button slidable units, each unit including a pair of cooperative plates, a setting plate and a tuning plate, adjustable one with respect to the other, the tuning plate having a part to engage the said positioning element to move the tuning member from any position it may have to one of its maximum positions of movement, means for moving said tuning member to the other maximum position when force is removed from the push button, the setting plate being adjustable along the length of the tuning plate, a pawl carried by the'setting plate and moved into position on actuation of the tuning plate for engaging the positioning element on itsreturn movement and stopping the tuning member at a predetermined position as controlled by the setting plate.

4. An operating structure for acting on the positioning element of a movable tuning member of a radio tuning device comprising, a frame carrying a plurality of push-button slidable units, each unit including a pair of cooperative plates, a setting plate and a tuning plate, the setting plate carrying a stop member and being adjustable to locate the position at which the stop member is to function, the tuning plate being slidable along-side the said setting plate and having a part to engage said positioning element to move the tuning member from any position it may be in to one of its maximum positions of movement, means for moving said tuning member to the other maximum position when force is removed from the push button, means carried by said tuning plate for moving said stop member into stop position and for holding it there until it is engaged by the positioning member on its return movement from said maximum position.

5. An operating structure for acting on the positioning element of'a movable tuning member of a radio tuning device comprising, a frame carrying a plurality ofpush-button slidabl units, each unit including a pair of cooperative plates, a setting plate and a tuning plate, the setting plate carrying a pivoted pawl and being adjustable to locate the position at which the pivoted pawl is to function, the tuning plate being slidable along-side the said setting plate and having a part to engage said positioning element to move the tuning member from any position it may be in to one of its maximum positions of movement, means for moving said tuning member to the other maximum position when force is removed from the push button, a longitudinally extending flexible member carried by the tuning plate for engaging and moving the pawl into stop position and for holding it there until the pawl is engaged by the positioning member on its return movement;

6. An operating structure as set forth in claim 5, further defined in that said flexible member is fastened at one end to a lug on the tuning plate,

while the setting plate has its corresponding end slotted to allow passage of said lug and flexiblemember-fastening means.

'7. An operating structure for acting on the positioning element ofa movable tuning member of a radio tuning device comprising, a frame carrying a plurality of push-button slidable units, each unit including a pair of cooperative plates, a setting plate and a tuning plate, the plates being set on edge and carried in the frame, one against the other, a lug extending from the setting plate and having a threaded hole, a rod extending through the rear and front ends of the frame and having a threaded portion engaging the threads in the lug hole, with a flat face on the unthreaded portion, a tubular member positioned in the front end frame member and extending over said rod end with the flat face, the tubular member having a push button on its outer extremity and a collar on its inner end, the rod having a flat head to engage the rear end frame member and a spring around the rod between the rear end frame member and said lug on the setting member, the tuning plate having a finger extending in frontv of the collar on said rod and an arm for engaging said positioning element to move the tuning member from any position it may have to one of its maximum positions of movement, and a spring attached to the arm and a frame member for normally holding the tuning plate finger against said collar and for returning the tuning plate to idle position after pressure has been removed from the button, a pawl pivotally carried on the setting plate and an elongated flat spring carried by the tuning plate for moving and holding the pawl so as to engage the positioning member on its return movement from said maximum position.

8. An operating structure as set forth in claim 7, further defined in that both sets of plates extend forwardly through the front frame member, the setting plates, a varying distance depending on the station for which the plate is set, while the tuning plates extend approximately the same distance, both sets of plates having their rear ends supported and guided in an auxiliary frame member located forwardly of the rear end frame member.

9. An operating structure as set forth in claim 7, further defined in that both sets of plates extend forwardly through the front frame member, the setting plates, a varying distance depending on the station for which the plate is set, while the tuning plates extend approximately the same distance, both sets of plates having their rear ends supported and guided in an auxiliary frame member located forwardly of the rear end frame member, the front and rear ends of the two plates of each unit being positioned in rubbing contact in the same slots of their respective frame members, and a Spring plate extending transversely across the frame in front of the auxiliary frame member and below all of the setting and tuning plates, and in resilient engagement with at least the setting plates.

10. An operating structure as set forth in claim '7, further defined in that both sets of plates extend forwardly through the front frame member, the setting plates, a varying distance depending on the station for which the plate is set, while the tuning plates extend approximately the same distance, both sets of plates having their rear ends supported and guided in an auxiliary frame member located forwardly of the rear end frame member, the extremity of the front end of the tuning plate having a lug extending across the plane of the setting plate for mounting the elongated flat spring thereon, the setting plate at this end being slotted to provide a passageway for said lug when the tuning plate is moved toward tuning position.

11. An operating structure as set forth in claim 7, further defined in that the setting plates are slidably moved in the frame by rotation of the buttons against the tension of the springs carried on their respective rods.

12. An operating structure for cooperative attachment with a radio tuning structure having a movable tuning element, said operating structure comprising a one-piece frame having a base with upturned sides and ends, with an auxiliar cross-frame member between the ends, anchoring the opposite side members against the end members, the frame carrying a pluralit of pushbutton units, each unit including a pair of plates mounted side by side on edge between the front end of the frame and the auxiliary frame member, and a rod operatively connected to both of the plates and carrying a push button for operating the plates, one of the plates, a tuning plate, being moved by pushing on the button, while the other plate, a setting plate, is moved by turning the button, the tuning plate having a lug for engaging a part onthe movable tuning element of the radio tuning structure, to move the same to one of its maximum positions of movement, the said movable tuning member having means for moving it toward the other maximum position when the force is removed from the push button, the setting plate having a stop device set by means carried on the tuning plate for engaging the part on the movable tuning element for stopping the element in tuning position.

13. An operating structure as set forth in claim 12, further defined in that the setting plate has a threaded lug to receive a threaded part of the rod, the forward end of the rod having a flat surface for making a non-rotatable connection with a sleeve carrying the button, the sleeve having a collar on its inner end for engagement with a projection on the push-button plate, and a spring on the rod between the threaded lug and the rear end plate.

14. An operating structure as set forth in claim 12, further defined in that the lug on the tuning plate which engages the part on the movable tuning element also serves as an anchor for one end of a return spring for the tuning plate, the other end of the spring being attached to a cross-member carried on ledge sections formed by outwardly bent parts of the front end frame member, said cross-member having resilient sections pressing down on the setting plates for the purpose described.

15. An operating structure as set forth in claim 1, further defined in that resilient cross-plates carried by the frame act on the setting plates to take up all up-and-down slack in the mounting of the setting plates and during their adjustment.

16. An operating structure for cooperative attachment with a radio tuning structure having a movable tuning element, said operating structure comprising a one-piece frame having a base with upturned sides and ends, with an auxiliary cross-frame member located between the two ends and fastened to the two sides, a plurality of push-button units carried by the frame, each unit including a pair of plates supported by the front end frame member and the auxiliaiy plate, the unit also including a rod supported between the two ends of the frame, the front end of the rod being non-rotatably positioned in a sleeve carr ing a push button and supported by the front end frame member, the rod being threaded through a lug on one of said plates and carrying a compression spring between said lug and the rear end frame member, the said button sleeve having a collar on its inner end, the other of said plates having a finger engaged by the collar whereby a push on the button moves the finger and plate for the purpose described, and a stop member for the purpose described on the plate having the threaded lug, the stop member being brought into stop position by the push-button plate, the longitudinal position of the plate carrying the stop member being set by rotation of said rod in coaction with said compression spring.

17. An operating structure for cooperative attachment with a radio tuning structure having a movable tuning element, said operating structure comprising a one-piece frame having a base with upturned sides and ends, with an auxiliary cross-frame member located between the two ends and fastened to the two sides, a plurality of push-button units carried by the frame, each unit including a pair of plates, and a combination rod and sleeve all carried by the frame, the sleeve being slidable on the rod but non-rotatable thereon and carrying a button for manual operation of the plates, one of the plates acting as a tuning device and operated through cooperative means on the plate and sleeve by a push on the button, while the other plate acts as a setting device plate carrying a stop for the purpose described brought into stopping position by movement of the tuning device plate.

18. An operating structure for actuating a tuning device having all in and all out operative positions, said structure including a plurality of push-button slidable units, each having adjustable parts for directly engaging said tuning device and moving it from any position it may be in to one of said two operative positions, means for then moving the tuning device tooward the other operative position when pressure is released from the button, and stop means carried by one of said adjustable parts brought into operative position by a slidable member of the push-button unit that is operated for stopping the tuning device in a tuning position for which the stop means has been set on said adjustable part of the unit.

19. A manual push-button actuator including a pluralit of push-button slidable units each made up of relatively adjustable parts for moving a tuning device having all in and all out operative positions, from any position it may be in to one of said two operative positions, means for then moving the tuning device toward the other onerative position when manual pressure is released from the button, stop means moved into operative position by sliding action of the push-button unit that is operated for stopping the tuning device in a tuning position for which the stop means has been set on one of said adjustable parts of the unit, and means for preventing the operator of the push button from receiving an mechanical shock during any part of the manual operation.

STANLEY S. CRAMER. 

